
Cougars
(Puma Concolor)
Whether you call them cougars, puma, or mountain lions, Canada's biggest wildcat cat often get a bad rap. Their ambush hunting style and occasional depredation of livestock have traditionally made relations between humans and cougars tense. Conservation officers and seasoned hikers, however, often describe wild encounters with these powerful animals as a privilege, and moments to cherish. Cougars are not plagued with as many myths as bears, but they are often misidentified in the wild and far more likely to be blamed for killing livestock.
Below are some quick facts about cougars.* If you have more in depth questions regarding cougars, take a look under our "Interesting Links" section.

Fun Facts!
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Despite their size, cougars can’t roar! They purr, whine, and meow just like domestic cats (but louder of course!) (1).
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Cougars have excellent vision. In dim light, cougars can see up to six times better than humans (1)!
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Cougars can live anywhere between 10-12 years in the wild, with females normally living longer (1).
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Male cougars are the larger to of the two sexes, ranging between 60-80kg (130-180lbs) but can be upwards of 100kg (220lbs) (2)!
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Both sexes have incredibly strong legs! Cougars can leap from standstill up to 10m (30ft) and 5m (15ft) up a cliff face (1).
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MYTH! Cougars do NOT leap on their prey from trees, but rather stalk and pounce from the ground (3).
Cougars have comparatively large home ranges and have been recorded traveling up to 50km/day within them (2). Adult males have large territories, typically overlapped by several female territories (1). Females have much smaller territories, and unlike males will tolerate a degree of overlap from other animals of the same sex (1). Female juveniles will often establish new territories adjacent to that of their mother’s, while males can travel hundreds of kilometers to find an unoccupied territory (1). Cougars mark their territories with scat, urine, and tree markings. Tree markings are typically 1-3 meters off the ground and scrape vertically down the tree. Unlike bear scrapes, cougar markings rarely remove much tree bark (1).
Cougars prefer habitat with sufficient cover, choosing areas with steep cliffs, boulder fields, and dense brush to call home (1). As ambush hunters, they tend to avoid open areas, but will use river bottoms and valleys to travel from one area to another (3). Unlike bears, cougars don’t den; rather, they create small “daybeds” as they travel, choosing caves, rocky outcroppings, and fallen trees to doze in during the day (1). These daybeds are typically located near recent kill sites (1). Females with kittens will choose similar locations to remain in for the first few weeks of the young’s lives before transitioning to their typically nomadic lifestyle (1).
Like most felines, female cougars can reproduce at any time of year, though typically mating in winter and spring (1). Gestation is between 90-96 days producing anywhere between one to six kittens (4). Young stay with their mothers for approximately 15 months, reaching sexual maturity at around 30 months (4). Kittens are easily identified by their stripes and spots (used for camouflage)(4), which fade as they age. Spots are still faintly visible up to a year in age. The vast majority of urban and human conflict incidents occur with young adults who are inexperienced in hunting effectively (2).
Cougars are strictly carnivorous, feeding primarily on ungulate type prey such as deer and sheep (2). They will hunt smaller prey such as raccoons, rabbits, squirrels etc. depending on necessity and availability (1). Largely crepuscular, cougars typically hunt from dusk until dawn, though again, will hunt in daylight in response to prey availability (1). Cougars cache their prey, covering them with whatever available material (dirt, leaves, grass, branches) to keep it from scavengers (2). They will return to the carcass regularly over the next several days until it is completely consumed (2).
Cougar attacks on humans are rare. In North America, approximately 25 fatalities and 94 nonfatal attacks have been reported in the last 100yrs. However more cougar attacks have been reported in the last 20 years than in the previous 80 years (1).
Sources
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"Living with Wildlife: Cougars (Mountain Lions)" Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/cougars.html Accessed 19 Jul. 2017
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"Cougar" Wild Safe BC http://wildsafebc.com/cougar/ Accessed 19 Jul. 2017
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"Publications - Cougars: also known as pumas or mountain lions" Government of Alberta 19 Aug. 2014, https://open.alberta.ca/publications/5584927
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Gadd, Ben. Handbook of the Canadian Rockies Second Edition. Corax, 2009